Jose Raymond shares his thoughts on the possibility of Breon Ansley moving up to Men’s 212.
Breon Ansley has hinted in the past that he might move up to the Men’s 212 division. Though ever since his loss at the Olympia 2020, he has confirmed he’s not changing divisions anytime soon – he still hasn’t ruled it out completely for his future. Some fans believe it’s the change he needs to become more dominant. Others disagree. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Jose Raymond predicts that Breon Ansley would struggle to succeed in the Men’s 212 division.
Breon Ansley went into the Classic Physique Olympia 2020 looking for revenge. Not only that, he was looking to prove that he is the true and rightful reigning champ in that division. Instead, Chris Bumstead proved himself to be a repeat champion. This tied him for two Olympia wins putting this year’s upcoming Olympia into a true battle for supremacy.
But some fans see Breon Ansley’s third place finish last year as a sign that he is on the decline. Breon has hinted in the past that he was interested in moving up to Men’s 212. While nothing is confirmed – the rumors continue to swirl. Especially after his most recent loss. Would he succeed better in Men’s 212?
We asked this very question to Jose Raymond, a veteran Men’s 212 competitor. How does he think Breon Ansley would fair upping his weight and competing against a bigger set of competitors? Jose Raymond chooses his words carefully and ultimately claims that, in his opinion, Breon Ansley would struggle to succeed at 212 pounds.
Watch our latest GI Exclusive segment with Jose Raymond above!
“I don’t think he would do that well,” Jose Raymond states in our interview. He continues:
“Because he’s structurally a smaller guy kind of like Shaun Clarida but he’s taller obviously. So he’s not meant to have over 200 pounds of muscle on his frame. His quality is incredible. And his conditioning is incredible. I don’t know if he would have that same conditioning at 200 pounds or 205.”
Jose Raymond believes that changing divisions is not the right move for Breon Ansley. In fact, he believes that if Breon goes back to the drawing board and changes up his contest prep – he can still be a powerful Classic Physique competitor. One that earns the Olympia title again in the future.
This is something that Breon Ansley himself seems to be focusing on as well. He has stated that he doesn’t plan to abandon Men’s 212 immediately after his loss. So perhaps he wants to prove himself a victor once again before making any big changes.
While two wins in a row for Chris Bumstead is promising, it doesn’t make him invincible. Breon Ansley learned that these past two years himself. That’s what will make the Olympia 2021 such an exciting match up in the Classic Physique division. Whoever wins will break the tie and earn a third victory. That is, if another competitor doesn’t swoop in and steal the title from both of them.
You can watch Jose Raymond talk in more detail about Breon Ansley’s physique and his chances in Men’s 212 by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!